HBR Guide to Leading Teams

Book excerpt: Dysfunctional teams are maddeningyet are a reality of organizational life. How often have you sat in team meetings complaining to yourself, What a colossal waste of time. Why does it take forever for this group to make a simple decision? What are we even trying to achieve here?” But as the team leader, you have the power to change things for the better. It's up to you to get people to work well together and produce results. How do you avoid the pitfalls you've experienced so painfully in the past? Team expert Mary Shapiro offers step-by-step advice, drawing on time-tested principles, practical exercises, guidelines for structured team conversations, and examples from a range of industries and organizational settings.